Posts

The explosion of available information from social media, together with significant techniques for capturing this data, now provides financial advisors with a gold mine of information to help them identify and connect with clients.

Big Data gathering is only a starting point in terms of capturing user behavior. It delivers a glimpse of the client but leaves a significant gap and won’t offer enough insight to be able to advise or offer solutions to clients based upon their life goals.

DNA Behavior International fills the gap. With the use of behavioral psychological insights, revealed through a validated questionnaire, their powerful DNA behavioral intelligence, partnered with their Big Data Optimization program enriches firms employee and client data.

IBM in their Big Data and Analytics Hub ask these questions: Are you (financial advisor) generating targeted personalized offers for your clients? Do you know your customers and provide them with timely, relevant and optimized offers based on data-driven insights? By leveraging information about your clients’ behaviors, needs, and preferences, you can encourage high response rates from clients and enhanced relationships with them.

When financial advisors use Big Data to enhance their service offering – what are they extracting from the data? How are they interpreting it? What is it saying about potential clients? Will clients be concerned that they are being advised based on their social media accounts alone?

Financial advisors who mine social media to serve client’s life events should know this does not reveal personality or bias. It doesn’t uncover decision making styles. It won’t predict a reaction to market mood. It won’t reveal influencing life events.

Advisors who are behaviorally smart understand there is a gap in Big Data mining. They know the importance of guiding clients with wisdom to self-discover who they are and their priorities to achieve financial wholeness. Financial DNA discovery delivers this self-discovery process. This strong, validated, structured approach reveals all dimensions of a client’s financial personality.
A partnership between behavioral analytics that reveal personality and big data offers financial advisors a significant key to identifying clients and delivering accurate advice.

Building and shaping the culture of an organization begins with the behavior of the leaders. When leaders are behaviorally smart, and understand their leadership and communication style, they are more likely to set the kind of example they want everyone to follow.

There is no one leadership style fits all. The key, through self-awareness, is to find the balance that works with the teams you lead.

The Fast-Paced Leader

A leader who is fast paced, logical, challenging and tends to be critical may well deliver results, but can damage the talent they are responsible for leading. This style of leadership births a culture of stress, staff turnover and unwillingness to want to work under their leadership.

The Analytical Leader

The analytical, systematic, rigid, work by the rules, style of leadership may be a gatekeeper in terms of the processes of the organization, but can shut down innovation, spontaneity and the kind of creative approach to decision making required when things go wrong. This inflexible and rigid style of leadership does not inspire a culture of shared goals, thoughts and ideas.

The Skeptical Leader

In today’s rapidly changing market, businesses need innovation to survive. A skeptical leader who is not open to ideas, continually questions, is guarded and fails to build trust with their teams, will not create the kind of innovative culture that breeds success. Finding a successful balance between trust and a healthy skepticism that protects the business is tough.

The Competitive Leader

Similarly, leaders whose focus is solely on results, who is very competitive and wants always to be the one who sets the agenda, can push teams too hard to achieve goals. If these leaders see targets slipping away they can become manipulative and assume a driven style of leading that causes teams to crash and burn. This approach leads to a toxic culture – very difficult to recover from.

The Peoples Leader

Leaders who are highly people focused and expressive, can inspire passion and purpose, but if this style of leadership is not based on a foundation of a clearly articulated vision and mission, the culture they create is one of chaos and confusion – but fun. Leaders such as this need strong boundaries and need to learn to focus on one goal at a time.

The Risk-Taking Leader

Some leaders are comfortable with taking risks. They know their limitations and are comfortable with managing failure. However, when risk taking leads to over confidence, leaders will cut corners placing the business in jeopardy. Further, team members assume the culture of risk extends to them. This can lead to outlier behavior as they take inappropriate risk that undermines the organization.

The Creative Leader

The highly creative leader embraces new ideas, can be quite abstract in their thinking and open to imaginative approaches to decision making. However, such creative ideas need to have value, they can’t be random as this leads to a culture of anything goes. Creativity in leadership works when it’s part of a culture that is sensitive to teams, colleagues and the overall needs of the business.

The Cooperative Leader

Not many organizations survive on a cooperative style of decision making. When a leader is seen to be compliant others very quickly take advantage of them. They may well be able to communicate the vision and encourage input from teams, but without their own understanding of how to be behaviourally smart, this style of leaderships leads to the loudest voice getting their way. Further, it can lead to a culture of frustration as the leader seeks everyone’s opinion before making a call.

The Reserved Leader

Generally, the reserved, reflective leader tends to be a loner. They do not have an open-door policy and can be withdrawn. This style of leadership breeds a culture of suspicion and can lead to more outgoing team members driving the culture and making decisions that are inappropriate. However, when the leader understands the importance of building relationships, this style of leader is likely to be much more accurate in their instructions. They prefer to get things right first time and will reflect and focus on this.

The Patient Leader

When a leader is overly understanding and tolerant there will always be others who will take advantage of this. A culture of leniency will prevail and mistakes will be repeated leading to frustration and discontent from team members. Generally, this leader tries to create a culture of stability, believing that everyone will function more effectively within the environment. This approach only works when everyone has knowledge of each other’s preferred environment for working, otherwise the culture will be too relaxed.

The Spontaneous Leader

Spontaneity challenges many people who prefer leadership to be structured and predictable. A spontaneous leader creates a culture of impulsiveness and lack of planning and forethought. Spontaneity panics some people and can lead to disruption and stress in the workplace.

A Leader who can create a successful organization culture will not only understand their own natural behavior and how to manage it, they will invest time gaining insight into the behaviors of their teams. When they achieve this balance, the culture they create looks like this:

There is a shared vision – communicated in a way that everyone feels valued in role for delivering it

There are high levels of personal confidence

Everyone has a can-do attitude

Teams collectively look for solutions

The leaders listen to other ideas and suggestions

The individuals feel motivated

Attrition is low

There are clear goals and everyone knows where they fit in delivering them

Success is shared

Trust goes both ways

There are quantifiable measurable outcomes that demonstrate the culture of the organization

A good idea, a solid strategy, an understanding of clients genetic makeup could be a ticket to their success. But without this insight – failure is more likely both for you as an advisor and for the client who wants to be an entrepreneur.

DNA Behavior International’s extensive research from recent academic research and studies supports the findings that a person is born with entrepreneurial genes. Providing advice to a client like this could be tricky.

A key for financial advisors is to understand the genetic makeup of an entrepreneur. What makes them tick. All entrepreneurs have similar characteristics. Their minds are genetically wired in the same way. In other words, they tend to depart from established patterns of thinking. Their resilience and appetite for risk are inherent qualities. The more mindful financial advisors are in their understanding of the entrepreneurial mind, the greater the chances of success in delivering sound targeted advice.

The Business DNA research concludes that entrepreneurs have the following genes in descending order of dominance:

Risk Taker (Measured by the Risk trait) – confidently take risks and tolerant of losses.

Creativity (Measured by the Creative trait) – innovative with ideas and seeks to differentiate.

Work Ethic and Focus (Measured by the Pioneering trait) – pursues goals and is often ambitious and competitive.

Charisma (Measured by the Outgoing trait) – outgoing, connects with a lot of people and influences people to follow them.

Entrepreneurs are confident, passionate and determined to succeed. They are comfortable taking the risk and will invest heavily in their business venture, maybe to the detriment of other areas of their life.

However, being genetically predisposed towards entrepreneurialism doesn’t guarantee that an individual will become an entrepreneur and then whether they will succeed. It is not just enough to be born with the entrepreneurial gene, people must do something with it. Financial advisors need to be able to dig below the surface to understand the dynamics of the entrepreneurial client and then can target advice.

Behaviorally smart financial advisors should be:

Comfortable being a user to test the financial validity of an opportunity.

Confident enough to challenge ideas and ask questions.

Trustworthy enough to encourage yet confront when the entrepreneur’s ideas are spinning out of control.

When financial advisors understand that Entrepreneurs are driven by the need to succeed and control their own destiny, they are less likely to put them in a client box. They won’t deliver mundane advice but will recognize the importance of getting inside the mind and genetics of an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs can’t do it alone. From start-up, the entrepreneur has many roles and will not have the skill set for all of them. Building the right team around them is critical to building a successful business.

Sir Richard Branson makes the following observation:
People tend to think of entrepreneurs as lone heroes, but this isn’t how it works in real life. Many live up to their reputation as risk-takers and some remain outsiders, but despite this outlier status, entrepreneurs need support to be successful. In fact, were a lot like Formula 1 race-car drivers: The person in the cockpit gets all the glory since fans tend to forget about the pit crew and the behind-the-scenes effort it takes to keep the driver on the track. Business is no different; an entrepreneur does not succeed alone.

Behaviorally smart entrepreneurs, who know their limitations, are more likely to have conversations about the skills they lack and reach out to others to fill the gaps.

1. Resilience (Measured by the Fast-Paced trait) – they achieve results, manage setbacks and rationally take quick action.
2. Risk Taker (Measured by the Risk trait) – confidently take risks and tolerant of losses.
3. Creativity (Measured by the Creative trait) – innovative with ideas and seeks to differentiate.
4. Work Ethic and Focus (Measured by the Pioneering trait) – pursues goals and is often ambitious and competitive.
5. Charisma (Measured by the Outgoing trait) – outgoing, connects with a lot of people and influences people to follow them.

Source: DNA Behavior International

More importantly, they will have a deeper insight into their entrepreneurial genes and feel empowered, through this knowledge, to bring others on board to take up some of the heavy-lifting.

As the business grows, entrepreneurs tend to feel besieged by the day to day workload. The appointment of someone, we will refer to as an Integrator, is a key first hire. Integrators should have the experience, skills, and temperament to manage the day to day business operations and understand how the entrepreneur ticks. This will ensure the business has a strong foundation. Further, it releases the entrepreneur to focus on building the business and using their entrepreneurial talents to do so.

Generally speaking, the talents are:

Big picture thinking

Creatively solve problems

Sees opportunities to go to market

Manage the pressure and risk

Has little patience for the day to day minutia

When the Entrepreneur and the Integrator have insight into their own and each other’s personalities, their communication style, and their decision-making approach, they understand where and when they need to modify their behavior to be a successful team.

Here are a few keys to building the Entrepreneur/Integrator relationship:

Mutual respect

Both passionate and driven to build the business

Communicate directly

Clear on boundaries

Open to learning from each other

Trust built on transparency and openness

Understanding each other’s strengths and limitations ensures the gaps’ are filled, and the business can move forward.

When an entrepreneur has no insight into their personality, hitting a no man’s land,’ such as dealing with day to day issues, managing 10-30 people and still trying to envision the business, they need to understand that failure is a very real possibility.

If there is no Integrator introduced, the next phase, when the business is getting off the ground and showing signs of success, will stall because:

It hasn’t the people to grow sales

It hasn’t got the innovation to keep growing.

It hasn’t the problem-solving capabilities

Once success is on the horizon, 30 employees can quickly become 50, 100, 500. This stage, moving into a sales organization, requiring sales systems and customer relationship management systems/processes, is where many entrepreneurs struggle. Such a level of hands-on day-to-day minutia (their interpretation) to grow can frustrate them.

This is where an Integrator and Entrepreneur working well together can take a vision to market.

Like me, many of you instinctively knew that you had a strong desire to start a business and then at some point, the right innovative idea came along and in you jumped. Then along the way, the entrepreneurial journey turned out much harder than you had expected – both emotionally and financially.

Having built five different businesses over the past 21 years, one principle I stick to is the ability to manage my own behavior. Then add managing the behavior of the team, and you have the primary difference between success and failure. Did I always just know this, or where did I learn it? It begs the question of are entrepreneurs born or made?

Work Ethic and Focus – pursues goals and is often ambitious and competitive.

Charisma – the ability to influence people to follow them, often having a balance between being outgoing and reserved.

These genes are more pronounced for those entrepreneurs who have built businesses with a turnover of more than $10m. And for the fast-growing number of women who are becoming entrepreneurs, the tendency for them is to be more moderate in the above-listed traits. However, they compensate with their natural ability to build stronger relationships.

Entrepreneurs must be multifaceted and dynamic, yet be laser sharp and narrowly focused. Their many duties require a uniquely talented character, but differences in personality and perspective can determine success or failure. It is not surprising, therefore, that the number one genetic trait of an entrepreneur is resilience as this is foundational to survival in life and business.

Regardless of where you are on the entrepreneurial journey, there will be challenges. Without personal self-awareness of the above five key traits, even the most gifted entrepreneur will crash and burn. Whilst a strong sense of purpose will keep entrepreneurs motivated during challenging times, behaviorally smart individuals face challenges knowing that through them, they will learn and grow.

Look again at the five entrepreneurial genes and ask yourself these questions:

Which of the above entrepreneurial genetic traits am I most dominant?

Am I leveraging the dominant one? If not, why not?

Who is alongside me as a partner or integrator (master key executive) to bridge the gap between the less dominant genes? And is that support successful?

Who else do I need on the team and in what roles?

Resilience is an essential quality to succeeding in any business, but how is my work/life balance?

Understanding the genes that make you a successful entrepreneur is very empowering. These insights provoke deeper thinking about the essential success factors and to consider how to activate your underused talents for building a business, and life, with meaning.

Yes, there are times individuals wake up with an amazing idea and are convinced they are the next Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. They persuade themselves that they are an entrepreneur. They may even attract investment for their idea. The market might be excited by this new offering BUT the truth is that most entrepreneurs fail to get their businesses off the ground. Even if they do, building and sustaining a successful business is rare.

The 2015 US Census Bureau reports that 400,000 new businesses are started every year in the USA but that 470,000 are dying, a worrying statistic.

John Chambers, Cisco’s CEO of 20 years, says this – More than one-third of businesses today will not survive the next 10 years. Shikhar Ghos, in his recent Harvard University study, claimed that three out of every four venture-backed firms fail.

The strengths that make people entrepreneurs are counterbalanced by struggles that can get in the way of success. Without this self-understanding, decisions will be made that can cause the enterprises to fail.

Much research exists now to confirm that entrepreneurs are born and not made. Having conducted extensive research to validate these findings, DNA Behavior International has identified the top five (5) genetic traits that are to be found in entrepreneurs.

Risk Taker (Measured by the Risk trait) – confidently take risks and tolerant of losses.

Creativity (Measured by the Creative trait) – innovative with ideas and seeks to differentiate.

Work Ethic and Focus (Measured by the Pioneering trait) – pursues goals and is often ambitious and competitive.

Charisma (Measured by the Outgoing trait) – outgoing, connects with a lot of people and influences people to follow them.

Having these genetic traits does not guarantee success for entrepreneurs. Learning to be behaviourally smart in using the powerful genetic ingredients they were born with is more likely to deliver success.

Of the 5 identified entrepreneurial traits listed above – resilience leads the pack. Building a business, handling the enormous pressure of setbacks, rejection of ideas, sustaining a business, managing staff, and dealing with market expectations, will never be plain sailing. If you are ever to see blue water, understanding the importance of resilience is a key factor.

Through their DNA Behavior Natural Discovery Process, the entrepreneurial genetic traits can be measured. The graphic below highlights, in order of strength, from the top down the behavioral factors (genes) which an entrepreneur exhibits:

The resilience gene is measured by the fast-paced trait. When this trait measures more than 55 – results will be achieved, setbacks will be managed and the individual will be able to rationally take quick action in any given circumstance.

Success in business is rarely about how many challenges you face so much as it is a matter of how you respond to the challenges. Entrepreneurs who are behaviorally smart, and understand their personality and genetic makeup, will have a level of resilience which allows them to face an almost constant barrage of challenges without ever weakening their resolve or losing their passion.

Interestingly the DNA Behavior Research program found that when comparing entrepreneurs who had built a $10 million turnover business as against a $1 million turnover business, that all the key DNA factors do not measure differences in an overall sense, but they do measure stronger.

Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Are you heading up a business you founded? Have you taken over a family business? Whatever the situation that brought you to this season of life, if you don’t know your entrepreneurial traits and understand how to manage them, and perhaps more importantly, how to fill the gaps in your talent, you may be heading for the failure statistic graveyard.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. You can read more about our privacy policy and cookie use here. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.